Police Looking For Suspects Wanted In Bronx Subway Robberies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for suspects in a rash of violent subway robberies in the Bronx.
As CBS 2's Derricke Dennis reported Wednesday night, commuters were terrified at the Grand Concourse subway station at 175th Street in the Bronx.
"That's news to me and it's very concerning," said Fernando Rivera of Grand Concourse, "because my children take this train station as well."
Police Looking For Suspects Wanted In Bronx Subway Robberies
"It's a shame. It really is," another rider said. "I'm definitely going to look over my shoulder from now on."
Police said there have been three attacks, one in December and two in January. All three incidents happened at the station at Grand Concourse and East 175 Street on the D line, police said.
The victims were all just about to board trains as they were attacked.
The NYPD said the attackers operated in a pack of as many as eight, targeting their victims, grabbing them from behind, punching them, emptying their pockets of money and cell phones, even using a chokehold.
One woman was even pushed down the stairs.
Javier Moreta said a friend's friend also was recently robbed at the Grand Concourse and East 175th Street subway station, although it was not clear whether it was related to the other robberies.
"They waited for him on the platform and just beat him up; took everything," he told 1010 WINS' Holli Haerr.
CBS 2 tracked down the victims – two men and one woman.
"I don't remember a lot of it. I don't remember," said one victim. "It was like a month ago."
But she and the others admitted they were caught completely off guard.
"They don't even have enough officers on trains. There's no type of communication," commuter Angela Tavarez of East Harlem said. "If anything happens, your phone doesn't work, you have no signal, so I think that's why it's happening."
Added commuter Curtis Young of Jersey City, "I think they need to be rounded up and put in places where they can't damage innocent people that are out here using the subway for legitimate reasons."
Moreta said he is extra careful in the area.
"I'm extra alert, because I work around this area," he said. "I leave work, sometimes, at 1 o'clock in the morning."
CBS 2 did observe police on extra patrols in the Grand Concourse station Wednesday night, and sketches of two of the suspects were posted. One was wearing a blue denim jacket with a horse shoe emblem (True Religion), a red wool ski hat also with a horse shoe emblem in blue stitching (True Religion) and loose-fitting blue jeans, police said.
Police described the second suspect as a Hispanic male between 20 and 25 years old. He's around 6-foot with a medium build and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a dark stripped shirt. The suspect also had a very light beard.
Anyone with information should call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
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